IFI JUNE ISSUE 2009 - ELMIA WOOD
CHRIS CANN - EDITOR’S COMMENT
Nothing seems as bad when the sun is shining
More talk of green shoots has coincided with the onset of summer, in the Northern Hemisphere at least, and many are ready to call a recovery. Too soon? Maybe, but it makes a welcome change from reading about bank failures, bailouts, stimulus packages and unwarranted executive bonuses.
The mood swing has not come a moment too soon for forest industries. As publishing dates would have it, the International Forest Industries team was shaping to put this edition to bed around the same time it was thinking about what needs to be stuffed in the suitcase for the Ligna exhibition in Germany.
The plane back from Ligna will have barely touched down when it will be time to pick up the travel bags again and head up to the land of the midnight sun for Elmia Wood in Jonkoping, where this magazine will be released.
Both these exhibitions come round only every few years and are genuine hubs for the sawmilling (Ligna) and harvesting (Elmia) communities to get together and do some business. The thought that the dark cloud of recession could hover over these events was positively unpleasant.
Besides giving the beer a bitter taste, the air of caution and conservatism that has ruled the industry for the last nine months would make new business deals and machine sales a difficult task.
As it stands, the recession is clearly still with us but the prevailing feeling is that the worst is behind us. The production line of stimulus rolled out over the past nine months is starting to take effect, with a large portion of that directed to the construction sector, which draws heavily on wood products.
Forestry companies at both Ligna and Elmia will be able to concentrate on selling machines and looking at opportunities for the future rather than purely managing their way through the downturn.
If the response to our two major features in this edition - cut-to-length harvesting and debarking technology - is anything to go by, most of the industries’ suppliers are pushing strongly into better times.
Both the harvesting and sawmilling communities responded well to the features and enthusiastically offered up their latest developments.It would be easy for these companies to hold back on promotion and development - most have to some extent - but at a time when sawmillers and contractors need them the most, they continue to come to the market with new products to make business easier.
Whether forestry professionals can afford to take on these machines (or will decide they can’t afford not to); is another question.
Also in this issue, we check in with an Australian contractor who is more than making ends meet with his harvesting, hauling and handling business (pp. 45). Mark Blackberry, head of the Sunchip Group, provides some interesting insights into forestry developments in Australia and reminds us that the old fashioned practice of forming and maintaining strong and mutually beneficial business relationships can form the basis of a successful business model.
And we have a chat with a charismatic Uruguayan who is concerned about his domestic industry despite his own successes in dealing with one of the most difficult species of tree in the world (pp.12).
Plus there is the usual selection of operation focus stories and other news features including a one-on-one interview with a forestry professional who believes the forest has the power to improve people.
As always, we’re keen to hear your thoughts and get an insight into the important issues professionals are tackling at the moment so please feel free to contact us.
You can find us at Elmia on stand number 110.
Hope to see you there!
Chris Cann
EDITOR
+44(0) 1442 877 583